Why Study The Bible?

 

"Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing shall cause them to stumble" (Ps. 119:165).
"If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" (Ps. 119:92).
"I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil" (Ps. 119:162).

The discipline of teleology is the study of the purpose or design of things and unbelievers don't like to hear that there is a purpose behind the universe or creation, but that it is just a big cosmic accident of the forces of nature. For instance, the so-called design of earth (Anthropic principle) is perfectly fit for human habitation--is that an accident? This is one of the proofs for the existence of God, that it seems obvious to the objective person that there is a purpose for everything--telos, or purpose is anathema to the secularist. Case in point: The purpose of dirt is to grow grass; the purpose of grass is to feed cattle; the purpose of cattle is to nourish man--this is where the equation breaks down because we can't agree on the purpose of man without religion entering the picture and then we see the big picture. The three questions: where did we come from? Why are we here? And where are we going?

Now, the question at hand is, why study the Bible? It should not be an academic issue or discipline to entertain us (like in a trivia game) or increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. During the Enlightenment gentlemen used to have the hobby of discussing theology, the queen of sciences, among themselves to pass the time--it was assumed everyone had a working knowledge of the Bible and could take part. Having a great knowledge of the Bible is not necessarily a compliment, because the Pharisees did too--it's what you apply That counts with God! Knowledge about the Bible is a prerequisite to knowing the Bible; it is necessary, but not sufficient to know God--the goal.

"Knowledge puffs up, but love [is what] edifies," according to 1 Cor. 8:1. But this is the kind of knowledge that doesn't contain discernment or wisdom, knowledge of God (cf. Hos. 4:1,6) "A people without discernment ["understanding" in NIV] perish" (Hos. 4:14). One of the worst sins is knowledge without character, according to Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, because it is a fact that knowledge can be dangerous, and a little knowledge is worse than none. Half-educated people are more dangerous than illiterate ones. What you know ought to be so! Some people know just enough to be dangerous. Don't get me wrong--ignorance is not bliss, but we must be careful to see Bible knowledge as a means to an end, and not the end itself. It's not a contest to see who the most about the Bible--knowing the Bible is different and knowing and loving the Author is the paramount goal. More knowledge equals more responsibility too!

We are not to compare or commend ourselves with others because accumulated knowledge can be a byproduct and just because someone knows a lot doesn't mean that is the goal. Knowledge is a tool for the preacher and part of his trade and he is to teach others to become independent of him and learn to fend for themselves, as it were, and someday know how to study on their own--because they love the Bible, not because they want to get smart. The Bible is sufficient to teach us everything we need to know how to live a victorious Christian life and grow into a mature believer, producing much fruit. The Bible is also known for its clarity because its main message is clear to the simple-minded and hidden from the "wise" out of the wisdom of God, because of the condition of their heart and will.

You can't teach someone to love the Bible--he must practice it and apply it himself to learn this and he will learn gradually to appreciate it. He has to grow into this. One should learn to study the Bible so that he can get "Aha!" moments or epiphanies (I can remember the exact day when God opened the Scriptures to me and I couldn't stop reading them) One can then sense God is speaking to Him because this is the way God has promised to reach out to us and speak to our needs. "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV).

With the privilege of interpreting Scripture, comes the responsibility to do it right and not to fabricate our own truths! The Word also "equips" us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17)! We should all be able to say with the psalmist, "O, how I love Thy Law, it is my meditation all the day" (Ps. 119:97). Soli Deo Gloria!

ADDENDUM.

When you say something is credible because it is credible, this is not meant to be circular reasoning, like saying it's logical because logic is the only proof. It's logical to believe this because what is logical is believable. But I mean different and subtle shades of meaning. A witness's credibility must be established before he can be believed on the witness stand, and the other side seeks to destroy his credibility--The character of the Bible characters and of the Bible itself is without peer--so it is reasonable to believe them. Some skeptics don't believe the Bible because of their presupposition that miracles don't happen--but you can't prove that! In the end, this is a philosophical question and the authority is the reliability of the historical documents and the veracity of the witness

An example of circular reasoning would be to say that you think logic should be the test of Scripture because that's only logical. Actually, any standard to hold the Bible to other than itself will never stand and will break down as circular proof--the Bible must be self-attesting just as it assumes God exists and doesn't try to prove Him. The saying is, "The finite cannot grasp the infinite.

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The Reluctant Prophet VII

 Israel was commissioned by God to be His messenger of the gospel to the world, but they botched it miserably and that is why the church had to come into being--to make Israel jealous.  God's grace has never been limited to one family, clan, tribe, nation, race, or peoples; but always open to all who have faith like Abraham ("Everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham," says Gal. 3:7).

Jonah was a type of Israel who was ordered to go to Nineveh to tell them to repent and went to opposite way! Now, before you condemn him for his disobedience, compare this to sending a Jew to Hitler in Berlin during the Holocaust to tell him to repent or else!  It was a suicide mission, to say the least, and Jonah had a survival instinct--get as far away from it as possible.  He actually didn't believe God would hassle him in Tarshish, and maybe God wouldn't have any authority there.  He asked the next boat if they were "going his way" and he was off to escape God.  But he found out you cannot run away from God but the Hound of Heaven will always catch up.  Jonah was out of fellowship and fell asleep in the hold of the ship during a violent storm.

To say the least, Jonah was a reluctant prophet and a negative example in Scripture of how to obey.   God used Him anyway and turned the situation around by His providence.  Jonah is the most famous, infamous, and even notorious of all prophets, and people sure like to mock his faith and story as fiction--but Jesus, Himself, believed it.  Jonah is indeed a lowlife in this book who happens to be the only one not on board with God--the ship's crew repents, the city of Nineveh repents and Jonah is "angry enough to die."  He has a death wish, but I wouldn't say he is suicidal--he is in a depressed funk and takes it out on God.  

Why?  His prophecy didn't come true about God destroying the city and he actually wanted it destroyed--he didn't love his enemies.  Jonah must have been aware of the doctrine of the providence of God and could've seen how God was moving behind the scenes in the small details of his life as He prepared (Providence in action!) a storm, a fish, a goad, and then a worm to convict him.

Jonah should not be judged by us, but only looked upon as a lesson to learn from, even if negative. He is one of the few prophets in the Bible that was successful and got the people to repent.  He certainly didn't want to be known as a "false" prophet and humiliated; on the other hand, he had no right to be angry and should have recognized that God reserves the right to have mercy on whom He will have mercy.  This is a lesson on universal grace and for us not to have self-pity and lack compassion for our fellow man--we shouldn't be so willing for them to be judged.

In summation, we are all reluctant prophets who must complete our "commission" to share the gospel message with the lost everywhere God plants us and sends us.  We cannot run from God, but must reckon that if God wants to use us as a vessel of honor, nothing will stop him and there is no Plan B--get with the program!    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Reluctant Prophet VI

"But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God.." Gal. 4:9 

"I selected and sent you to bring light and my promise of hope to the nations." (Isaiah 42:6). 

"Yet he did what was right in the sight of the LORD but his heart was not in it." 2 Chron 25:2

The book of Jonah continues with Jonah being angry at God for no justifiable reason. He hated the Assyrians so much he didn't want them to repent and thought they deserved annihilation. He is the only prophet who got results from his preaching that is recorded to repent and he should have realized he had a record to brag about or an achievement to tout or flaunt back in Israel.  "I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6. That is the Great Commission as given to Israel which they failed to complete.  But maybe he thought his brethren would be angry with him for helping out their enemy. 

It shows that we can throw a fit at God and even get angry just as Job did and God will not judge us but rather have mercy: "His mercies never come to an end."  You cannot limit God's mercy.  Jonah did not realize that he did not deserve God's mercy either!  It should have humbled him that they repented but he was still self-righteous and God still forgives him. Jonah had to realize who was in charge and find out he couldn't have his own way but must accept God's will. He might have thought he knew better than God!  God never answered his question but humbled him with another question.  "Is it right for you to be angry?"   It is noteworthy we can get angry at God!  You have to be secure in your relationship to get angry at them as couples know.   Jonah did not doubt his salvation!  When someone repents we should realize our need for it also and not just expect others to repent or think only they need it. This means "practicing what we preach." 

The question arises as to whether Jonah was obedient; he was to the letter of the law but his heart was not in it. He was not gusto, or gung-ho for the Lord and had no grit, and was not a wholehearted follower but only met the bare minimal requirements. We should never think we are failures when we do the Lord's work for the Lord will use us for his purposes and accomplish his will through us as his vessels of honor.  No Christian in God's will is a failure!   Jonah should teach us that we are much like Jonah ourselves and that God is also patient with us and we should not judge Jonah! 

The big problem with Jonah was that he was self-righteous much like Job and failed to realize his shortcomings and that he needed to repent--even Job did at the end. Job thought he was on board with God but never was.  He needs to get on track with God again.  He was forced to do God's will and complied in deed only but his heart wasn't in it and he had no love for these sinners or concern or burden or the lost. Jonah boasted to the Lord that he "knew" God and his mercies and even thought that God was going to spare Nineveh but he found out how little he did know.  Jonah didn't know as he ought to know! 

Even theologians can know a lot of doctrines and be quite versed in the Word and biblically savvy and not know God as well as anyone else.  "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6.  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:4   Jonah said,  "I knew..." but this doesn't mean he knew God--you can know a lot about God and still fall short and not know God or have knowledge of God. 

You can know doctrine but until you experience it and it becomes part of you, making it your own or owning it and living it out, can you say you know it. We must turn our creeds into deeds! Jonah insisted he "knew" this and that but it was not real to him yet.  "Now that you know these things blessed are you if you do them."  John 13:17. After God spoke to Job, he repented but not so with Jonah!   He had not come to a personal encounter with God that made him humble before him and it did not change him! Holiness is not according to experience because he sure had it.   It goes to show that there are two types of Christians: those who have been humbled and those who will be! Soli Deo Gloria!